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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264326">The Most Unlikely Serendipity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/albinokittens300/pseuds/albinokittens300'>albinokittens300</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arranged Marriage, F/M, Friends to Lovers, MINOR angst but, Really almost completely fluff, Roomates to lovers as well, Slight but basically meaningless age difference, Sweetness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:41:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264326</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/albinokittens300/pseuds/albinokittens300</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss's mother decides to play matchmaker and marry her off to the bakers son, and it certainly will change her life. At first, she is sure it is for the worst. But discovers perhaps it could possibly be for the better. </p><p>Written for Prompt 75 of the Everlark Fic Exchange: An in-Panem arranged marriage a/u where Katniss is slightly older than Peeta. [submitted by @endlessnightlock]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Everlark Fic Exchange - Springtime 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Second submission, yay! This is also literally the longest thing I have ever written, over 2,500 words. This is split up between 8 chapters, so no one part is longer than 400 words. But there is quiet a few of them, at least for me to handle! A whole month of work went into this and I am so excited. Hope you all enjoy this first part, and the 7 to come after it! </p><p>Please Comment, and let me know your thoughts! Or leave a kudos if you feel like it. Both are very appreciated!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katniss fumes as she watches her mother leave the room. How dare she marry her off? Or try to, even. After all she does to keep their family fed, how could her mother send her to be the wife of a merchant she hardly knew? That was three years younger than her, on top of it!</p><p>She knew she was close to the baker. That Mrs.Everdeen has known Mr. Mellark since they were children, and they still regularly talked. But what possessed her mother to think about playing matchmaker? Offering her up to marry the youngest of the Mellark boys? Katniss is so livid she can hardly think straight. </p><p>There would be opportunities in town, she understood. At the bakery, for her and Prim. The money those jobs provided could certainly help Prim maybe even go to school. Or, at least afford her time to study under her mother. Perhaps there was a method to her mother’s madness. She would still have to hunt, but the life for the Everdeen’s could be slightly more comfortable. </p><p>If he didn’t have a fuss about her hunting! Who knows what her potential husband would say to her illegally going into the woods to hunt? Then again, his family bought her game before, it is likely he already knows and expects this from her.</p><p> Though, Peeta Mellark had never been anything but kind as far as she was aware. And there is the bread and the dandelions. But the memories come, and she shakes her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. He was only an innocent child then and likely couldn’t bear the thought of Prim, his classmate then, going hungry.</p><p>No, no, she would not marry Peeta Mellark.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things change for Katniss.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Two, because both of these are already up on Tumblr. I think I will post the rest one at a time, every other day. And as two come out, submit the other two on Tumblr. So the rest of the updates will probably be here first :). </p><p>Again, enjoy! And please leave Comments or Kudos if you feel so inclined!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Or, she would it seems. </p><p>Peeta comes to the wedding looking every bit as forced as she was. Dressed in a suit, which she must have seen Gale’s or someone else’s Toasting considering its familiarity. Her mother insisted on using an older dress of hers and altering it. Taking a relatively simple white frock and giving it delicate leaf green embroidery. She felt slightly sympathetic when his father looked expectantly at him the way her mother did to her. He was only 18 and is being tied to her of all people. </p><p>He takes her hand, and they sign the documents at the City Hall. They all return to the bakery afterward and have their Toasting. Sealing their futures. </p><p>That said, Katniss finds quickly that perhaps their married life wouldn’t be so horrible when they are left alone later on in the night, after dinner with their families. </p><p>On the night they married, he promises quietly to never force anything on her. Nor would he make her do anything she didn’t want to. Katniss could absolutely do as she pleased. When he mentions hunting, all he asks was that it didn’t affect the bakery or his brothers. That she is safe. Taking her hand, his blue eyes lock with her, and he tells her the last thing he wants is for her to be miserable, and asks her to please do whatever makes her happy. </p><p>Peeta shows her the spare room that is ready for her. Made up and perfectly clean. It is sparse but still feels warm and welcoming to her. Politely he wishes her a good night before she is prepared to go to sleep.</p><p>This, maybe, wouldn’t be the worst thing, Katniss thinks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Part Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Katniss settles into life married to Peeta Mellark.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Part three! Some of Katniss and Peeta getting used to co-habitatiing. This chapter and the next one seem...pretty fitting for whats going on it the world here in March, 2020. With that I will leave you all with this seed of domestic sweetness, and hope you all are staying safe and at home. Keeping as healthy and quarantined as possible while keeping your sanity. </p><p>Please enjoy this chapter! And leave Comments and Kudos, if you feel like it :).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peeta really was the best she could hope for in a housemate. Or husband, she thinks. </p><p>Living with him didn’t take as much settling in as she assumed. Perhaps it was that, while Peeta was not quiet, he was not obtrusive either. He was kind to her when they shared the space of the apartment above the bakery, though this was not shocking, remembering her interactions with him. The bread he gave her when they were children, which she often tried to forget, and the dandelions. Still, he was always polite and considerate, which made him easy to get along with.</p><p>Her new husband was also a neat person and cleaned after himself. He took a shower in the morning, so she could take one at night. The room he gave her was never breached, never encroached on. Leaving her to slowly bring things there to make it her own.</p><p>Food was always started by the time she arrived home, and Katniss starts to make a point to help him finish cooking the meal. Preparing meals quickly begins to be most of their closest interactions, and despite being nearly strangers otherwise. They learn to cook side by side, almost instantaneously. </p><p>For only being Prim’s age, he is also hard-working. The bakery somehow flourishes in business under his ownership, even more so than with his father. Respect grows between them, seeing one another work to not only provide for themselves but their families.</p><p>He mentions offhandedly he always thought she was extraordinarily brave, hunting like she does. No one outside of her family or Gale appreciated her that way. </p><p>For some time, it was like this. Living together amiably, but most often, Katniss was not in town. Instead, being in the Seam visiting her sister and, begrudgingly, her mother was commonplace. Along with hunting and trading, she was not home from before her husband woke till later in the evening. What he did while she was gone and after the bakery closed made her grow curious sometimes, but not enough to ask.</p><p>She was perfectly happy with his polite nod and genuine tender smile when she comes home, and the quiet conversation as they make dinner.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Part Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Something grows between Katniss and Peeta the winter after their marriage.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you all are doing okay in these insane times. Keeping calm and keeping busy while being home and such. Thankfully writing has kept me busy. Here I present Part 4, we are half way there! </p><p>Something I want to clear up I mentioned in the comments of Part 3...Peeta is 18 here, and Katniss is 21/22.  This is, not good and realistically could and probably would be very problematic. However, I didn't want to have to write around the being any older and still having their parents force them into marrying. So I kind of was lazy and hand waved it. So yes, the age gap is really meaningless in this fic...but that is because I didn't want it to be even though realistically it would. Hope that clears up some things, and that you all understand?</p><p>Anyways. Enjoy please, and leave a Comment or Kudos if you would like!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It isn’t till winter comes with harsh winds and whiteout blizzards she seemed to be stuck in town. Mostly in the apartment with her husband, who she now realizes she hardly knows. Despite living alongside him for months now.</p><p>She learns her husband is an artist beyond decorating cakes. Skilled with pencil and paper too. Peeta even mentions painting whenever he found he could afford supplies. Katniss finds she could sit and watch the way his hands move the lead as he draws at the kitchen table while she sits in the living room for hours, or occasionally from the other side of the couch when he joins her. Creating beautiful sketches with such grace she didn’t know was possible.</p><p>“I’m sorry you’re stuck here, Katniss. I never meant to trap you.” He is addressing being stuck inside in the Merchant section when she would rather be in the Seam or the forest. But the underlying meaning is there. Peeta avoids looking towards her as she watches over her shoulder. </p><p>Sitting together these winter nights has also coaxed her into conversations. The two of them had to fill hours with something, and sometimes it became words. Katniss is astounded, though, as she never admitted such feelings out loud to him. Instead, he knew she belongs among the trees and green. Trusted the forest to provide and protect her. That her sister was still the most important thing in the world to her. Even if Prim was turning 18 all too soon. </p><p>Katniss thinks back to these last few months. And realizes she never has truly felt trapped with him. A stranger, maybe. But she never felt pushed or unsafe. She finds herself enjoying cooking with him, sitting with him while sketching, or talking about the day at the bakery. Enough to even enjoy trying to respond to him and share herself with him too. He had become a friend without her knowing it. She hadn’t felt so warm about someone new since Madge when she married Gale. </p><p>“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s warm here, anyways.” She says, hoping he catches the double meaning. Judging by his blue eyes brightening and smile widening, he does.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Part Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Katniss learns a few things. About baking bread and her own feelings.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Part five! You know I had play with this kind of situation XD. Because the idea of Peeta teaching Katniss how to knead bread just is very much Everlark I feel like.</p><p>Please enjoy this chapter! Comment and leave Kudos if you feel like it as well :).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“For you,” Katniss says, handing him the small bundle of wild dill she had managed to bring back. Knowing now Peeta likes fresh ingredients when he can come by them, she tries to find things like wild herbs whenever she can while spring is in full swing. </p><p>Peeta takes the small greens and gives her a dazzling smile. “Thank you! Are you busy?” He asks. “I could show you how to prep if you want too.” </p><p>In the wake of the bakery’s growth under Peeta, they had talked about her taking a few hours in the evening. Katniss could see he was short-staffed, especially during prep after closing time. And since Prim is here most evenings, working her own hours, she thought instead of sitting around talking to the two of them, she decided learning to help prep or stock pantries would help them both as well as ease the burden on the other workers. </p><p>She puts on an extra apron of his, and he leaves another worker to cover for him. Peeta carefully shows her how to assemble the simple dough for a white bread loaf. It is calming and pleasant to hear his voice, as while they have gotten closer, they tend to still be very quiet around one another. </p><p>But a whole new level of warmth and delightful feelings happen when he moves to help her learn how to knead the dough. Standing behind her and gently taking her hands and guiding them into moving the correct way. The hold typically would unnerve her, even three years her junior Peeta was stronger than she was. But the huntress feels perfectly safe with him holding her and involuntarily relaxes into the touch. Wherever they brush her body both heats up and feels shot with electricity. And she wants more of the feeling, more of this kind of closeness.</p><p>For once, Katniss thinks she’d like to be his wife, in more ways than she already is.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Part Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fate decides to speed things up for poor Katniss.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Part 6, and did you really not expect something like this XD? Hope you enjoy some sweet comfort and pure Everlark-ness. </p><p>Please Enjoy, and Comment and leave Kudos!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katniss doesn’t know if he notices the lengths she goes to touch him after their little lesson. Something inside her compels her to have that wonderful feeling again. </p><p>She relishes leaning into his shoulder to watch him draw now, whenever she can. Or brush against him when they cook or work in the bakery. Sometimes, when she is brave, she even sees fit to hug him when returning home. This almost seems to stir the feeling she wants, and it is plenty pleasing on its own to have the same comfort and relaxed sensation as then. Several times she finds herself contentedly resting her head on his shoulder. </p><p>Katniss sighs one night when considering this. Only she could feel so besotted by her own husband, and not know how to express it to him. Could not manage to seek out something as simple as holding his hand.</p><p>She doesn’t know if it is love. But it is certainly something close. That thought doesn’t scare her as much as it would have some time ago, either. </p><p>Fate seems to step in that night, and she has the worst nightmares she has had in as long as she can remember. The fire and bloody bits of her father are vivid pictures behind her eyes, almost real enough to feel as she sits up, screaming and seeing through blurred vision thanks to her tears. </p><p>Peeta comes rushing in, instantly by his side and calming her. A soft, loose hug encircles her, and he whispers calming and sweet words. But she doesn’t stop shaking. </p><p>“Katniss, do you want me to sit with you? Stay for a little?” He asks when she is reluctant to let him go. </p><p>“Please” Is the only word she allows out of her mouth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Part Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Katniss wakes up to a pleasant surprise.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yay, part seven! Only one more to go but I honestly had such a blast writing and sharing this fic with everyone. So glad so many of you enjoyed it. However, not quiet over yet. Katniss still needs to be a little bit more brave yet. </p><p>Hope you like this chapter. Please leave a comment and kudos if you feel so inclined, I love to know everyones thoughts!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katniss doesn’t remember much after she asks him to stay. What comes over them, she doesn’t know. But he sits with her and eventually ends up holding her. With Peeta’s soothing voice and tender caresses on her arm, she is quickly coaxed back into a blissfully dreamless sleep beside him. </p><p>When she wakes in the morning, the huntress is still in his arms, and the feeling she had craved is there, if not as needy and insistent as in the bakery several weeks ago. The sensation is warm and calming while also exciting her more than she understands why. He’s only hugging her, but it feels like he is cherishing her and protecting her as well. In the last few months, she’s enjoyed his company more than she cares to admit. This seems to feel so right. </p><p>She doesn’t want to move. For a while, Katniss allows him to sleep and watches him. His eyelashes are long, and more than once, she wonders how they manage not to tangle together. Though something about his lips called to her. </p><p>A blush covers her face when she realizes something. Katniss wants to kiss him. To have him hold her more. They have become friends since their wedding to one another and living together, but now that she knows him this way, it has only spurred her on to seek more. More of his kisses and touch. But also his attention, and despite how much it scares her, his love as well. If he wanted to give her those things. </p><p>Did he? The huntress isn’t sure but feels like surely he must love her judging by his actions last night. In some way, at the very least. </p><p>Her thoughts stop abruptly when Peeta slowly begins to stir beside her as he wakes. As he wakes up, the baker freezes when he seems to notice where he is and registers her beside him tucked into his arms. </p><p>“Katniss, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to, here. I’ll go-” He almost panics and gets up. But she reaches out to stop him. </p><p>Before she can do anything else, before he can even fully move away from her, Katniss pulls him back slightly, Just enough for her to kiss him out of instinct. The risk pays off in spades when he leans in to respond to the touch of her lips.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Part Eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Katniss and Peeta enjoy the rest of their morning together.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, the last chapter! Had such a blast writing this for you guys. It was not easy, as I might of mentioned before- this is the longest fic I have ever wrote to my knowledge. It took much longer than I was used to and editing was hard. But I had such a blast sharing it with you and reading your comments! Hope you enjoy this little conclusion I wrote here. </p><p>Again, please enjoy. Comment and leave Kudos, if you feel like :).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They spend the rest of the day in her bed. Peets seems to understand her kiss fully, thankfully and doesn’t ask her to explain herself or demand explanations. Katniss doesn’t know that she is ready to voice how much she cares about him, and has grown to crave the life they made together. She’s too scared still to put it into words even if she knows how she feels now. The kiss made sure of that. </p><p>But she does enjoy being held by him as they decide to enjoy their morning together. Feeling his kisses, be it on the lips or forehead or hands, as she soon finds out he is prone to doing.</p><p>For the first time in a long time, as she settles with him on the bed while he plays with her hair, she decides to sing. At first, just gentle humming, but the words soon come under her breath and soft. They don’t seem to get any louder, but the music seems to please her husband. Peeta’s fingers in her hair stop immediately, and she notices he is thoroughly listening to her, with a content grin on his face. </p><p>When she stops, she sits up and looks into his eyes. </p><p>“I don’t know what this means, Katniss. But I wish I could freeze this moment, and we could live in it forever.” He whispers. </p><p>“Okay.” She says. </p><p>“You’ll allow it?” He asks.</p><p>“I’ll allow it.” She replies. Moving to kiss him again, Katniss makes a mental note to thank her mother at some point for the opportunity to do so.</p>
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